The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-07-28
SOME FAMOUS oPALs.



history attached to them, and very few
are lieir-looms, The few families who
have heir-looms Of any value In this
country are generally people too poor
n other ways to be able to make a dis.
play Of them But there are yet few
which have histories worth telling, and
among them is a set of opals belonging
to Mrs. Leland Stanford, which she
bought Of Bellezza, a Genoese jeweler.
who was in Philadelphia at the Gem
tennial Exhibition. These jewels were
not publicly displayed, as Bellezza had
superstition about them and would
never put them in any case with other
jewels on account Of their former
history,
They consisted Of pin and pair of
eathings Of opals set round with brill
liants. The opal In the pin Is over an
inch long and about two-tliirds Of al
inch across. being oblong in form.
Those in the earrings We're Of the same
shape, about two-thirds the size of that
in the broach. They all had exactly the
same milky blue luster, and down in
the heart of each burned fiery red
spot with such baleful, malevolent
light that it actually frightened the be.
holder. These stones at an ordinary
distance gave the usual luster of these
jewels, and it was only when looked ut
closely that they had that peculiarity.
They were arranged so that they could
be worn as three pendants on a chain
Of band Of velvet as we'll as in their
ordinary form. The blfillants around
them were about the size of small peas
on the broach and large pinheads on
the earrings
They were shown Mrs. Stanford more
as curiosities than any thing else, but
she was instantly struck with their
beauty and popularity and bought
them, paying $4,000 for them. and
laughing at the thought Of any super
stition regarding opals, although she
heard the story of these.
The last owner before Mrs Stanford
of these opals was the ex-Empress
Eugenia. They had been sent to her
as present by noble Spanish family
whom she had greatly aided in time Of
their misfortunes. They had been
obliged to pawn these jewels with many
others which the Empress generosity
had enabled them to save, and she re-
ceiyed then, but never liked to wear
them, and it is said she never did wear
them but once. During the time that
these Jewels we're In the family of this
Spanish nobleman every misfortune
that could follow one seemed to have
pursued them. until they were almost
reduced to beggary and several of their
family had died.
The story is that the Spanish noble
man bought them of widowed friend,
whose bereavement had been the result
of a train of miseries almost unheard OF.
In her youth this lady had been lady
Of honor to the Empress of Austria,
and when she left that court to be mar
ried these jewels We're given to her by
the Empress, who had just bought
them of the last member of noble old
Hungarian family who was reduced to
this extremity. The jewels had been
bridal gift from her husband and she
had kept them until hunger and desti-
tuition forced her to sell them. 1t was
through Baron Janus Won Xanthus that
the Empress of Austria heard of the
sad case and finally bought the jewels.
Where they came from before this | do
not know.
When the ex-Empress had to fly from
Paris these jewels, with few others,
were hurriedly gathered by her faith
full friends and attendants, and saw
and admired them at Chiselhurst,
where, owing to some certain circum-
stances, passed two days and night;
but ! never expected to see them again.
Bellezza. the jeweler, is an Italian
and enjoys reputation very enviable
among jewellers of honesty, and he had
often had dealings with the Empress
while in the zenith of her power, and
after her sorrow she turned to him as a
medium to dispose of her iewelry in
quiet manner, which could not easily
have been done either in London or
Paris. So Mile. de Larminat and the
Countess Clery made several visits to
Bellezza, taking him the jewels for sale,
and he managed it with caution and
usually good results. But no one would
buy this set of jewels, and so they were
brought here in hopes OF selling them
to some one who had no superstition on
the subject, and Mrs. Stanford bought
them.
At the same time as the purchase of
this set of jewels Mrs. Stanford bought
of the same jeweler magnificent neck
lace of diamonds and rubies. for which
she paid nearly $46,0O0, and a pin and
earrings made of pink pearls, set with
brilliants, representing moss rosebuds.
She gave about $1,000 for this set,
which was intended for a present to
some relative.
Mrs. Stanford has many other jewels,
but none finer. In the necklace are
one hundred and thirty-fve stones, of
which forty-four are rubies. ~ Oliue
Harper, in N. Y. Mail and Express
How did you enjoy your supper
It Delmonico's last nightP'' asked one
.ady of another. II want to tell you
about it. called for strawberries and
cream without looking at the menu,
'ust fancy" Weren't they goodP'
"Yes; they were good enough; but they
only cost twenty-five cents dish. l
lever feltso mortified in all my life. -
" Y. Mail and Express.